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Sunday, April 15, 2018

Type 2 Nutrition #428: Portion Control?

Weight loss strategies are full of advice to control
portion size…but nobody wants to measure! So, instead of a scale, we are
counseled to use a clenched fist to estimate a protein portion. We are told to
use a small plate so that a full plate makes the serving look bigger. Both
devices work, but if you continue to eat a “balanced” diet loaded with nutrient-poor,
high-carbohydrate, “processed” foods, you’re
still going to be hungry.

Alternatively, if you are eating a Low Carbohydrate diet, you can fill your
small plate with energy-dense protein and fat, and a few low-glycemic veggies,
and you will feel full and remain
sated for a longer time.

And if you are eating a Very Low Carb diet, you can eat these same healthy foods…or not. That is, you can skip a
meal without hunger and save both
time and money. Case in point: I am never
hungry at “breakfast.”

Eating three meals a day is a social construct and a
cultural habit. We’ve been told (by the cereal makers) that it’s important to “start
the day off well with a big breakfast” and “breakfast is the most important
meal of the day.” And guess what? It’s usually allcarbohydrates,
like fruit juice, cereals with milk and added sugar, and sugar-laden yogurt or
bread with jelly or tea with honey.

Result: our blood sugar spikes, then crashes and it’s snack
time or lunchtime, so we scarf down more
carbs. By mid-afternoon, our blood sugar has crashed again and we’re ready
for a nap…or a snack (candy bar,
anyone?).

Do you see a pattern here? Einstein said, “Insanity is
doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.” Well,
maybe a diet of 3 meals a day, plus
snacks, that is 55% – 60% carbs, or higher, is the problem! Maybe a
change in what and when we eat, or even why we eat, would fix that
problem. D’ya think?

For me, diet and portion control begin with 3 precepts
(H/T to Diet Doctor): 1) Eat strictly a Low Carb Diet, 2) Eat only when hungry and 3) Use Intermittent
Fasting as needed to reach and
maintain a stable weight.

Here are a few practical tips that I use that you
might consider:

1) For “Breakfast,” I have “downsized” and just drink a
medium-sized mug of coffee to take my pills. Thus, I need a smaller pour of heavy cream to color and flavor the brew.
I now get 3 weeks from a quart, at about 1½ oz/pour (150kcal). If you eat them
(I don’t anymore), eggs & bacon are portion controlled. Cereals are not.

2) For “Lunch,” if
I eat lunch, I eat from tins: a tin of
kippered herring in brine, or squid parts in its own ink, or Brisling sardines
in olive oil or water. The small tin
limits the meal, and it is all
protein and healthy fats.

3) During the day I only drink a beverage that will not raise my blood sugar. I drink
cold-brewed iced tea, “sweetened” with liquid stevia. I have tested this drink
multiple times and it does not raise
my blood sugar.

4) For “Supper,” if I am not fasting, I eat two small, pasture-raised lamb chops (an 8-rib
rack provides 2 meals for 2 people), or half
an 8oz Sam’s Club filet, or some similar premeasured portion of protein. We
also share a low-glycemic vegetable, either tossed in butter or roasted in
olive oil, or a salad with my
homemade dressing.

5) For a supper beverage, I prefer one or two 5oz
portions of red wine in a glass filled with seltzer. I know it’s only 5oz
because I always get 5 pours from a
750ml (25.36oz) bottle. Sometimes I have iced tea instead.

6) If I have a “nervous eating urge” after supper, I
use the wine glass for a Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar Cocktail: 1 Tbs of vinegar,
a few dashes of bitters, and several drops of liquid stevia; add ice, swirl and
fill with seltzer.

If
you’re not hungry most or virtually
all the time, as you are NOT when
you eat Very Low Carb, portion control is…ahem, a piece of cake.
BECAUSE YOU DON’T THINK ABOUT EATING OR PORTION CONTROL WHEN YOU’RE NOT
THINKING ABOUT FOOD. And, about that piece of cake, you won’t crave it. You can
enjoy it on special occasions, but you won’t NEED that carb snack to keep from
falling asleep. You’re full of pep and “vinegar.” ;-)

About Me

I was diagnosed a Type 2 diabetic in 1986. I started a Very Low Carb diet (Atkins Induction) in 2002 to lose weight. I didn’t realize at the time that it would put my diabetes in clinical remission, or that I would be able to give up almost all of my oral diabetes meds. I also didn’t understand that, as I lost weight and continued to eat Very Low Carb, my blood lipids would dramatically improve (doubling my HDL and cutting my triglycerides by 2/3rds) and that my blood pressure would drop from 130/90 to 110/70 on the same meds.
Over the years I changed from Atkins to the Bernstein Diet (designed for diabetics) and, altogether lost 170 pounds. I later regained some and then lost some. As long as I eat Very Low Carb, I am not hungry and I have lots of energy. And I no longer have any of the indications of Metabolic Syndrome.
My goal, as long as I have excess body fat, is to remain continuously in a ketogenic state, both for blood glucose regulation and continued weight loss. I expect that this regimen will continue to provide the benefits of reduced systemic inflammation, improved blood lipids and lower blood pressure as well.